A newly recorded genus with description of a new cave-dwelling species of Flagelliphantes (Araneae, Linyphiidae) from northeastern China

Background The genus Flagelliphantes Saaristo & Tanasevitch, 1996 was proposed by Saaristo & Tanasevitch, 1996 to accommodate three ex-Lepthyphantes species distributed in northern Eurasia. Male Flagelliphantes are easlily recognised by having a hood-shaped thumb on the embolus. The females have a long, S-shaped scape and the posterior median plate of the epigyne is grossly enlarged ("hypertrophied").New information While examining Linyphiidae Blackwall, 1859 specimens from Yunxia Cave in China's Jilin Province, we discovered a new cave-dwelling species of the genus Flagelliphantes, F. yunxia sp. n. In this paper, we provide detailed description and photos of its diagnostic somatic and genitalic features. It is the first record of the genus from China.